Shloka 18
Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 54 — Missile-Exchange and Tactical Redirection
Arjuna, Aśvatthāman, Karṇa
शोणाश्ववाहस्य हयान् निहत्य वैकर्तनभ्रातुरदीनसत्त्व: । एकेन संग्रामजित: शरेण शिरो जहाराथ किरीटमाली
vaiśampāyana uvāca | śoṇāśvavāhasya hayān nihatya vaikartanabhrātur adīnasattvaḥ | ekena saṅgrāmajitaḥ śareṇa śiro jahārātha kirīṭamālī ||
Dijo Vaiśampāyana: Sin rastro de abatimiento en el corazón, el guerrero de diadema, adornado con guirnaldas, mató los caballos de Saṅgrāmajit—hermano de Karṇa—que se le había presentado en un carro tirado por corceles rojos; y con una sola flecha le separó la cabeza del cuerpo.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the warrior ideal of steadfastness (adīna-sattva) and decisive action in battle. Ethically, it reflects the Mahābhārata’s recurring tension: valor and duty are praised, yet the narrative implicitly reminds the reader that triumph in war is inseparable from death and moral burden.
A diademed, garlanded warrior confronts Saṅgrāmajit (identified as Karṇa’s brother). He first kills Saṅgrāmajit’s horses—disabling the chariot—and then, with a single arrow, beheads Saṅgrāmajit.